Hellraid: The Escape

Introduction

Poland based Techland has become more prominat over the last few years, most notably when they released their zombie apocalyptic game, 'Dead Island.' Released in November of 2010, the first person co-op adventure was focused primarily on melee combat and quickly earned a devout cult following – regardless of the many technical issues that plagued the game. Since then they've continued to hone their development skills, while further embracing the all-too-familiar zombie theme, with 'Dead Island: Riptide' and the newly announced 'Dead Island 2.' Adding to their ambitious schedule is the new horror-fantasy IP, 'Hellraid.' Although not scheduled to release until sometime in 2015, they've enlisted their subsidiary developer, Shortbreak Studios, to bridge that gap with the iOS title, 'Hellraid: The Escape.' But will this handheld mobile game be enough to satiate Techland's fan base until 'Hellraid' releases?

The Game Itself: Our Reviewer's Take

The start of 'Hellraid: The Escape' couldn't be any more macbre. Sealed within a darkened stone casket, you force you way to freedom by sliding the cover up and away, gaining your freedom – but at what cost? Like an animal trapped in a cage, you have simply replaced one tomb for another. A quick scan of the room reveals a dungeon-like environment, decorated with the bones of former captives, the squeaking of hungry rats, and the pages of a man clearly gone mad.

Welcome to 'Hellraid: The Escape'. Enjoy your stay. You're already dead!

Imprisoned by Crell – a sorcerer obsessed with the dark arts – it is up to you to maneuver through the dungeon to stop him before his power grows in strength. Along your journey you face a variety of puzzles designed to specifically take advantage of an iOS interface. Utilizing the standard touch, tap and swipe functionality (among others) your task is to solve these puzzles and fight the dungeon's monsters with your wits rather weapons.

In addition to the more common touch interface we've all become familiar with, 'Hellraid: The Escape' also employs a virtual analogue stick. Looking is accomplished with a simple swipe in the appropriate direction. While I generally frown on the inclusion of virtual joysticks in games designed for the iPad, the slower-paced gameplay of 'Hellraid' makes using this control scheme much more fluid and easier to manage.

'Hellraid: The Escape' does a noble job of trying to make each room's puzzle unique from the last, while slowly ramping up the difficulty. Early levels can be completed in as little as a few minutes, while later levels demand a bit more thinking and strategy to complete. Traps are sprung and the character that you play as – the body that you control – will realize a quick and brutal death. Consequently, this death results in one of the more interesting aspects of 'Hellraid' – the reanimation of another host body.

With each death you are transported back to the beginning of the level, forcing your way out of yet another stone enclosure. Thankfully, most of your progress is saved and each of the dozen or so chapters are short enough that backtracking is never an issue. However, walking past the remains of the body you previously controlled, witnessing the repercussions of your mistakes first hand, is lesson enough to think things through and consider your strategy more thoroughly.